Stephane Otheguy Côte Rôtie 2009

Rising dramatically from the massive Rhône river around the tiny town of Ampuis, the ‘roasted slopes’ of Côte Rôtie produce what in my opinion are some of the most mystical and underrated wines in the world today. Just 200km south of the great terroirs of Burgundy, these schist-ridden soils are yet to find their due place in the fine wine world, but one or two exciting producers are giving us a glimpse of what may come.

Some of the highlights of my winemaking life so far have been in Côte Rôtie – including the 2004 growing season in the vineyards of Stephane Ogier and the 2007 vintage in his winery – and the honesty of the region really got under my skin. Until the early 90s, the region was largely in the calloused hands of ‘real farmers’ who tended their vegies on the valley floor and their grapes on the slopes. But with the rise of fine wine and the market starting to recognise the quality this region could produce, effort began to shift away from the relative ease of farming potatoes and tomatoes on the flats to the hard graft of tending individually posted vines on the steep slopes. Farmers stopped merely selling their grapes to negociants to add value and started making and selling the wine themselves. And as values rose, so too did the use of systemic fungicides and herbicides across the region to protect their increasingly precious crop.

But it seems we’re now witnessing a changing of the guard.

As many of the poly-culture farmers of old sit commentating sceptically from their armchairs, their sons and daughters are focussing squarely on unleashing the benefits of Syrah planted at its northern-most limit, and in doing so are shifting away from the use of chemicals in the vineyard.

One such son is Stephane Otheguy.

Stephane farms a single hectare of Côte Rôtie by hand and won’t compromise his beliefs for anyone. Organic in the vineyard and natural in the winery, he’s after a pure expression of his grapes, not critical acclaim.

“Why would I want my wines tasted by a wine critic? …It‘s a waste of a perfectly good bottle of my wine that could be enjoyed instead. I make my wines for those that care enough to support my ways…”

And those ways, coupled with one of the very best vintages in Côte Rôtie’s history, have produced something very special in this wine. The region’s trademark violets and white pepper are well integrated with smoky meat and dark red fruits. High toned with a medium-to-full body, an intense mineral backbone and long dry finish, the ripe tannins will see this wine age beautifully over the next 20 years or more.

Having seen what the new Côte Rôtie can deliver, I’m very excited to see where Stephane and his peers will take this naturally gifted region. Already my favourite appellation in the world.

:::BON:::

B = Biodynamic: cynics think it’s voodoo but this is basically holistic farming that uses manures and composts to improve soil life and the interaction of the vines with their environment.

O = Organic: farming without the use of inputs that can have adverse effects. ‘Non-systemic’ fungicides and pesticides are used in place of ‘systemic’ chemicals said to enter the ‘blood’ of a plant (akin to antibiotics in the human world).

N = Natural: no additives or aids (eg yeast, yeast food, added acid/enzymes/tannin) bar a touch of sulphur during aging or before bottling, if any at all.